Research Portfolio

Genetics, Cognition, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Joey W. Trampush, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences

Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences

USC Keck School of Medicine

February 4, 2025

Research Focus Areas

Core Research Domains

  • Working Memory Genetics
  • Adult ADHD Diagnosis & Treatment
  • Psychiatric Genetics
  • Cognitive Genomics
  • Neurodevelopment

Methodological Expertise

  • Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS)
  • Systematic Reviews
  • Clinical Guidelines Development
  • Neuropsychological Assessment
  • Data Science (Reproducible Research)
  • Language Learning Models (LLM)

RDoC Cognitive Systems GWAS (R03 MH123787)

Project Goals:

  • Investigate latent molecular genetic architecture of working memory
  • Use existing COGENT consortium data
  • Identify genome-wide allelic variation
  • Focus on causal, not just correlational relationships

Early Development & Brain Function (R01 DK110793)

Collaboration with CHLA

Research Focus:

  • Impact of early feeding practices
  • Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)
  • Effects on obesity development
  • Brain development trajectories
  • Longitudinal design
  • Multi-modal assessment
  • Developmental outcomes
  • Clinical implications

AHRQ ADHD Review Project (75Q80120D00009)

Co-funded by the FDA

  • Update to 2018 AHRQ review
  • Focus on diagnosis and treatment
  • Children and adolescents
  • Evidence-based guidelines
  • Treatment recommendations

Integration & Clinical Impact

How these projects work together:

  1. Genetic architecture → Treatment targets
  2. Early development → Prevention strategies
  3. Clinical guidelines → Evidence-based care
  4. Translational potential → Improved outcomes

Future Directions

Research Goals:

  • Expand genetic findings
  • Identify biomarkers
  • Develop interventions
  • Improve diagnostics

Clinical Applications:

  • Personalized medicine
  • Early intervention
  • Treatment optimization
  • Outcome prediction